Smartphones and tablets have become more ingrained in people’s lives. The mobile phone is the first thing over 5 billion people see every morning when they get up, and the last thing right before they retire for the day; therefore, many businesses are looking to boost mobile app security to make smart devices the best assistance possible.
90% of smartphone users spend their time on mobile apps, which is one of the reasons why mobile app security is so critical. Data leaks and device hacks are a business’ worst nightmare; from damages and loss of customer trust and loyalty to lousy PR, security is a critical part of every app development firm.
This article will look at seven reliable practices with which you can ensure mobile app security:
The use of SSL certificates for App Security
There is an app for everything today, from major social media platforms to buy goods online, tracking fitness and health, to resume builders. Moreover, many users will fill in their personal contacts, address, and financial information on their apps on a daily base. The best way to keep your clients having such trust in your apps is to install SSL certificate. Developers must bind payment gateway of an app with SSL certificate where users blindly put trust on these. With SSL certificate each byte will remain secure.
Moreover, the importance of SSL certificate is considerably increasing day-by-day. SSL certificates have been applied for years to secure websites from man-in-the-middle attacks. But now, it is a must that all Android and iOS apps are SSL enabled. The SSL certificates will protect all data in transit.
Obtain Mobile App Security Training
Threats to mobile applications are evolving just as fast as technology; to have an effective security policy for your apps, you need to obtain all the necessary knowledge. Research and new solutions are being found often; to leverage this technology and get an edge over cybercriminals, you need to learn about all the major vulnerabilities and how to combat them.
Ensure Code Security
Most programming languages are now open source, easy to learn and code with. Unfortunately, most hackers are the most tech-savvy experts when it comes to programming languages.
These cybercriminals spend days and nights learning new ways to combine them to find even more creative ways to manipulate back doors and crack codes to inject malicious code. Thus, you need to apply source code security techniques such as minifying of code, OWASP methodology, and obfuscation. These techniques will make it less straightforward for hackers to understand and manipulate your code.
Secure your Servers
Another important area to beef up security in would be your network connections and servers. These are the areas where all your sensitive app files are stored, and your servers also facilitate the communication between your app and clients. If your server is attacked, you could lose your app’s functionality and integrity, not to mention the risk posed to the clients relying on them to use your app.
You can use SSL certificates, strong passwords, firewalls, and encryption to keep unauthorized users at bay. You can also use containerization to protect your data.
Engage White hat Hackers
Google and other prestigious companies have brought elite white hat hackers to help determine the vulnerabilities in their systems. If you have the budget, consider having these professionals test the integrity of your apps.
Improve Data security
Facebook has been criticized recently for a severe data breach that left the details of over 50 million users exposed. You should have robust measures in place to protect the confidential information your mobile app users entrust to your apps. Below are some ways in which you can improve your data security:
- Take Basic Measures
You can start by learning the steps that Facebook and other leading giants have had in place to correct and ensure that data breaches do not occur again. You can also protect your MySQL databases with SQLite database encryption modules. Policies that govern the implementation and control of data security will also serve to ensure that your app developers and users do their part in avoiding data breaches.
- Use Cryptography
Cryptography is an advanced data security measure that applies encryption algorithms like AES, DES, and Blowfish to ensure foolproof data security. These algorithms are the strongest available and come highly recommended for mobile app security.
- Ensure the use of Passwords
If users upload sensitive information to your app, then it is incredibly imperative that you have a tight password mechanism to protect this data. This is a simple, yet very effective way of protecting your clients’ data. Again, ensure that the password mechanism is easy to use for them.
- Avoid data Leaks
Most apps require their users to grant specific permissions for better app functionality. Most users will gladly give these permissions to enjoy their favorite app or game, but they predispose them to the risk of data leaks. To avoid this serious issue, use Dynamic Data Masking (DDM) techniques to mask data, thus protecting it from exposure to unauthorized people. You can also have an alert mechanism in place to quickly respond to any signs of data leakage. Another option is the use of access controls to restrict access to data resources.
Test your App for Vulnerabilities often
Some IT firms place timely delivery and customer satisfaction before security, opting to release the app before having carried out rigorous security checks. Unfortunately, this method only leaves your customers vulnerable to hackers, which will make them leave anyway. This is why you need to avoid releasing the app before it is ready. As per Gadgetsnow report, 149 apps in November 2018 were found dangerous.
Conduct both manual and automated tests to check for bugs, ease of penetration, and other vulnerabilities. Never compromise on the quality of your app, as there are elite hackers out there looking for their next target. Testing for security is just as necessary as the other steps in app development. Here is the guide on how to tell if a mobile app is safe or not.
Conclusion:
Mobile app security and the latest developments in this area are at the top of every app developer’s priority list. It is vital that the steps above are followed to keep your apps and their users safe from cybercriminals.
This post was last modified on April 18, 2020 8:28 PM